CONTROVERSIAL plans for scores of homes in Wiveliscombe, criticised as being ‘poor quality’ and ‘characterless’, have been rejected.

Gladman Land submitted the proposals for land just off North Street for 130 homes, including up to 30 per cent affordable housing.

But local people expressed fears that schools and the GP surgery would not be able to cope with the increase in people the development would bring.

Many residents wrote to Taunton Deane Borough Council expressing concerns, including Carolyn Parker from Nordens Meadow. She said: “There is insufficient infrastructure – eg parking, road capacity – and services – eg school places, NHS provision, public transport – in Wiveliscombe and the surrounding area to support this development, which could increase the population of the town by 15-20 per cent.

Heather Harvey from West Street also objected saying: “As chair of the Wiveliscombe and 10 Parishes Business group we object to this development as all building traffic will travel through the centre of Wiveliscombe and cause gridlock.

“The Square already suffers from delays as cars are always parked on the double yellow lines. This is dangerous for pedestrians and other road users as site lines are blocked and the dropped kerbs are always obstructed.”

Planners at Taunton Deane said the site was outside the defined settlement limit of Wiveliscombe and would result in an unplanned extension of the town. The application was also criticised as ‘poor quality’ and a ‘characterless development’, which would have a poor relationship to the surrounding area.

Wiveliscombe Town Council also objected to the plans and welcomed Taunton Deane’s decision. The authority had raised concerns that the town had insufficient infrastructure and services. It also said the development would ‘add to the existing imbalance between jobs and homes in Wiveliscombe’, despite developers stating that financial contributions would have been made to increase capacity in services needed, including schools and the GP surgery.

Town council chairman Bryn Wilson welcomed the news and said other developers should take heed of the decision. “The centre of town would not cope with the increase of traffic as the roads are too narrow,” he said.

“We are very pleased and Taunton Deane has done exactly what it should have done by rejecting it.

“Other developers should take heed of this decision – we already have the allocated 200 homes for Wiveliscombe until 2028 and already a third of those have been built. What we do need is some low-cost renters’ accommodation.”

A spokeswoman for Gladman Land said it did not comment on individual applications.